A guide to choosing Your Newborn Photographer

How do I choose a Newborn photographer?

A guide to choosing Your Newborn Photographer

Congratulations! I am assuming if you are reading this that you are somewhere along the incredibly exciting journey of expecting a baby. I hope this guide to choosing your newborn photographer will offer you lots of helpful advice.

Newborn photography has become almost a must for all new parents and I know it must be quite a daunting task finding the perfect person to be your newborn photographer.

The newborn stage is so fleeting and magical, your baby will NEVER be this tiny, this sleepy, this curly and perfect to pose again. I have written this post to try to make this task a little easier for you and to make sure you find the right person to capture all the details and beauty of your new baby.

When should I have my newborn photographed?

A newborn baby photography session should ideally be held in the first two weeks.  At this age most babies are completely oblivious to what’s going on around them and most often will sleep through the entire session. Over the age of three weeks very few newborn photographers will guarantee they will be able to achieve the newborn poses you will have seen in their portfolio. Once a baby reaches two to three weeks old they tend to be more awake and less curled up making sleepy poses very difficult to achieve.

When should you book?

The sooner the better as many newborn photographers are booked up months in advance. You will also find they will limit the number of bookings they take to ensure plenty of flexibility in their diary for early and late arrivals. My advice is to get in touch as soon as you are thinking about newborn photography. Even as early as your 20 week scan. Photographers will book your due date into the diary and then keep in touch around that time.

Choosing the right photographer to book for your newborn photography

1. Have a good look through the photographers portfolio. Have they got a wide selection of images on show? Do you like their style? There are lots of different styles of newborn photography: Relaxed and intimate lifestyle images, bright novelty images using colourful hats and props, formal studio images or soft, classic, gently posed images. The photographers style has to suit you. There is a photographer out there to suit everyone.
2. How long have they been photographing newborns? Safety is paramount when photographing newborns. Ask about their experience and perhaps ask for testimonials from previous customers.
3. Does the Newborn photographer have a studio? Would you need to travel to them or would they come to your home? Both have benefits, it’s up to you to decide what’s best for you. If you are travelling with a small baby it’s a good idea to consider the distance to the photographer
4. Ask your photographer details about the shoot. How long will it take? How old should the baby be to get the best shots. Do they sound like they know what they are taking about? You need to feel comfortable about the whole process – after all you are entrusting the photographer with your precious little one.
5. What would you like to do with the finished images? Do they offer the presentation products that you have in mind? Are they quality products?
6. Would you like a photographer to capture your baby as they grow? If so, does the photographer offer a package such as ‘watch me grow’ or ‘bump to birthday’ for this.
7. Find out detailed pricing before you book. A good photographer should be very upfront about their pricing – there should be no surprises when it comes to the investment you are making.
8. Beware of super cheap photographers. A newborn session can take up to 4 hours to complete and typically 8-10 hours to edit. Please question the quality of a photographer who offers you a session and all images on a disc for £xx. A photographer offering very cheap packages will have to be doing LOTS of sessions per week to just break even. This type of photography is a very time consuming process not including the after service which should be offered to you. Will you get the service you are looking for?
9. Call them for a chat. Do they sound like the kind of person you are happy to capture your newborn? It is important you feel comfortable with this person.

If you would like to see more of the types of images you can expect from a newborn session head to my Newborn Photography Portfolio. For more information on my newborn photography sessions please do get in touch via the contact page.